Rotary piston machine



May 19, 1931. J. w. LEES 1,306,205

ROTARY PIsToN MACHINE Filed May 5 1928 4 Sheets-Sheer. l

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1mm. m u m in May 19, 1931. J. w. LEES 1,806,206

ROTARY PI STON MACHINE Filed May 5 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 l Ej: w l

1 I i r y l 1 I Q m May l9, 1931. J. w. LEES 1,806,206

ROTARY PIS TON MACHINE Filed May 5 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 May 19, 1931. J. w. LEES 1,806,206

ROTARY PISTON MACHINE Filed May 5 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 I K i; l

Patented May 19, 1931 PATENT OFFICE JOHN W. LEES, Ol' CHICAGO, ILLINOIS ROTARY PISTON MACHINE Application med lay 5, 1928. Serial No. 276,488.

This invention relates to improvements in a type of machine in which rotary pistons are employed and which may fimction als a pump, engine or compressor.

l One of the primaryobjects of the invention is to provideD a machine of durable and comparatively simple construction which will fimction with high efliciency. More particularly, the invention provides a construction by which friction between the parts is diminished; also, it provides means for adjustment of the rotatin arts, and means for conveying Iluid to an fiiom the working chamber with a minimum of leakage. Other objects and advantages will appear as the description of my invention proceeds.

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view, some of the minor parts being shown in elevation, illustrating a machine embodying my invention.V Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view, the section being taken as indicated at the line 2 of Fi ure 1. Figure 3 is a -top plan view of the ront portion of the mac i ne, which view is partly brokenaway.

to show the inlet and outlet passages in the casing members. Fi re 4 is an end view, in elevation of the piston chamber, the end casing member having been removed at the point indicated at line 4 of Figure 1. Figure 5 is an end view, in elevation, of the end casin member which is removed from the machine at the point indicated at line 4 of -Figure 1, the view being in the direction opposite the point of the arrow. Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view, the section being taken as indicated at line 6 of Fi ure 1. Figure 7 is a broken sectional view s owing the rotating sleeve member, the rotor having been removed therefrom. Figure 8 is a broken sectional view of the rotor showing the arrangemment of the .vanes therein. Figure 9 is a vertical sectional view, the section being taken as indicated at line 9 of Fi ure 2. l

eferring more particularly to the arrangement of parts shown in Figure 1, 10 re resents a standard which is supported by a anged base. Upon the standard 10, and 5 preferably formed integral therewith, is a tubular casing member 11. Secured thereto is a main casing member 12 which is somewhat cylindrical in shape and which provides on its interior a chamber in`which the working parts are located. The casing 66 -members 11 and 12 may be secured together bly means lof bolts 13. At itsup) r portion, t e casino member 12 is prefera y equipped with con uits 14 and 15, either of which may serve as an outlet or inlet. For purposes of 00 illustration, conduit 14 will be re arded as the inlet and conduit 15 as the out et. The bosses 14 and 15 around the conduits 14 and 15 are preferably threaded interiorly to engage threaded pipes 16. A third tubular casing member 17, somewhat similar in construction to casing member 11, may be secured to casing member 12 b means of bolts 13. Its outer end is closed y an end-plate 18 which provides a recess .for lock-nut 32. 70 Similarly, the tubular casing 11 is closed by end-plate 19, which is apertured to receive a drive-shaft 20 and is also preferably recessed on its inner side to provide room for lock-nut 21, which is adapted to enga e a u threaded portion 22 of the drive-shaft. lhe end-plate is provided with the usual packin means.

ile I have illustrated casin members 11, 12 and 17 as connected by olts, it is 0 obvious that some of these members may be formed integrally with each other.

Within the tubular casing members 11 and 17 are arranged adjusting members 23,

which are threaded to en age threaded portions of the casing memers. The adjusting members 23 are shown provided at their outer ends with recesses 24 which are adapted to receive the ends ofy a Spanner wrench bywhich the adjusting members may be 9 moved in a forward or rearward direction. Suitable anti-friction means such as ball bearings 25, e uipped with races 26, may be spported wit in recesses provided within the adjusting members and these furnish suitable bearings for the rotating parts hereinafter described.

'Lhe rotatin sleeve member- 27, in the chamber provi ed b casing 12, is closed at one end and is pre erably equipped with a 1 hub 28 which may be secured to the driveshaft by means of a key 29. -The hub 28 of the sleeve member is shown su ported by the ball bearings while the s aft, at a 5 point near the end-plate 19, is shown supported directly by similar ball bearings 25. As illustrated, the annular sleeve member 27 and rotor 30 do not contact with the casing member at any point, thus reducing the 1 amount of friction to a mimmum.

A rotor 30 is supported eccentricall within the sleeve mem r 27 upon rotor-s aft 31 which is carried by anti-frictien means, such as ball bearings 25. The outer end of the u rotor-shaft 31 is provided with a lock-nut 35 :Ihe vane 35 is pivotall secured to the sleeve member 27 and is apted to slide in a slideway 36 with which the rotor is provided. A second vane 37, which is also pivotally secured to the sleeve member 27, slides in a similar slideway 38 with which swlvelled member 39 is equi ped. The swivelled member 39 is illustra as a comparatively small c linder, ivotally mounted in rotor 30. T e rip ery of the rotor adjacent the small cy inder 39 is preferably cut away at an angle to rovide for angular movement of the vane 3 As shown in Figs; 3, 4 and 6, the conduits or flow passages 14 and 15 in the casing 12 pass downward] a short distance and then, forwardly in a substantially horizontal line to register with flow passages 40 and 41 in tubu ar casi member 17.

As illustrated in igs. 2, 5 and 9, the latter llow passages 40 and 41 pass back in a substantially horizontal line from the point where they register with conduits 14 and 15 and then pass downwardly a short distance to communicate with the somewhat crescentshaped slots or openings 42 and 43. The latter openings communicate with the workchamber formed between the eccentrily disposed rotor 30 and sleeve member 27. In order to prevent leaka it is preferred that the openings 42 an 43 shall not extend as far as the outer periphery of the sleeve member 27 The discharge o ing 43 as shown best in Fig. 5, is prefera;l extended to a point at which a maximum -scharge will be secured or, as illustrated, where it would touch an imaginary diametrical line drawn through the sleeve member 27 rpendicular to t e base of the machine. y this enlargement or extension of the opening, it has been found that hydraulic traps are avoided and that the operation proceeds more smoothly and eiciently. It will be understood, how'- ever, that in order to secure the desired restilts, it may not be necessary to extend the oiening 43 exactly to the point where it cuts t e diametrical line; the opening may extend slightly beyond or fall short of the line.

In order to rigidly secure the adjusting members 23 in position, set screws 44, -or other suitable locking devices, ma be rovided in the casing members 11 an 17 he inner ends of the screws 44 are illustrated as finding a bearing surface within annular slots 45. ,A

As shown inl Figs. 1 and 6, lubricating ducts are provided for the rotating parts. The rotor-shaft 31 is preferably provided centrally with a lubricating oil passage 46.

Diametrical ducts 47, as best shown in Fig.'

6, communicate with the passage 46 and also with the annular pass 48. A short duct 49 leads from the annu ar passage 48 to the slideway 36. A second duct 50 is shown leading from the annular passage 48 to a conduit A51 through which the bearing surface of the small cylinder 39 may be lubricated. A duct 52 provides communication between receptacle 51 and slideway 38 in the small 'cylinder 39. The anti-friction bearings may be lubricated by oil which passes through the spaces 53 between the races 26.

In the operation of the machine which, for purposes of illustration, will be described as a pump, the drive-shaft 20 is set in operation, thereby causing the annular sleeve member 27 to rotate. The vanos 35 and 37, as they traverse the chamber, cause also the rotor 30 and rotor-shaft 31 to rotate. The rotor 30 and sleeve member`27 form an abutment with a minimum practical clearance to diminish the amount of slippage. sleeve member 27 and rotor 30 travel in the same direction but their faces, owing to the eccentric arrangement of the sleeve and rotor, have different ripheral speeds. Com nsation for this di erence is b s ideway 36 in the rotor 30 an b the slyotted cylinder 39, as is illustrated c early in Figs. 4 and 6.

Liquid or gas enters the working chamber through inlet pipe 16, llow passages 14 and 40, and openingl 42. It is forced b the venes into disc arge opening 43 an out through flow passages 41 and 15 into outlet pipe 16.

n order to keep the rotor 30 and the annular sleeve member 27 at a 'desired distance from the end casing members 11 and 17, at? justin members 23 on either side of e impel er chamber areprovided and ma be operated b removing end-plates 18 an 19, inserting t e end of a spanner wrench in the recesses 24 and rotating the adjustingzmembers 23 to cause them to proceed or recede Both rovided III las

to the point desired. The nice adjustment between ythe parts thus provided enables the operation to be carried on with a minimum o leakage. Also, the ad'ustment means eliminate the requirement or a great deal of precision in manufacture due to their capacity to compensate for the necessa plus and minus tolerances. They rmit t e operator to keep the sleeve mem r at a proper distance from the end casing member, irrespective of wear of the parts, and also to vary readil the clearance between these parts when it is desired to operate upon various kinds of liquids or Agases which require different adjustments for ecient operation upon them.

The lubricants for the working parts may be supplied in the followi manner. The lubricatin oil received int e chamber provided by tIxe end-plate 18 passes throu h the duct 46 and communicates, by means o short ducts 47, with the annular flow passage 48 from which the duct 49 leads to slideway 36 and duct 50 leads to conduct 51 and through passage 52 into slideway 38. Lubrication of the ball bearings is secured by the passage of lubricants through the spaces 53 between ball races 25.

While I have shown the small slotted cylinder 39 ivotally secured to the rotor, it is obvious t at other arrangements involving such as, for example, a reversal of the parts with the slotted cylinder mounted in the sleeve and the vane 37 ivotally secured to the rotor, may be emp oyed to secure the same results and are, therefore, within the scope of my invention. It is also clear that more than two vanes, such as are illustrated herein, may be emplo ed; that the machine may be equipped wit only one of the two adjusting' members which have been described; and, also, that the machine may'be driven by means of the rotor-shaft 31 as' well as b the'drive-shaft 20.

F rom igs. 4 and 5 it will be observed that on the inner surface of the end casing member 17 the flow passages 40 and 41 are separated from.the elongated openings 42 and 43 by a strip of metal which may be varied in area as desired, prefe ably this is suilicientl elitensive to cover t e clearance between e sleeve member 27 and the casing 12. By ,this construction liquid is prevented from b -passing the flow passages 14 and throug the passage provided by the clearance between sleeve member 27 and casing 12.

While I have illustrated and described a particular construction embodying my invention, I do not wish to be understood as intending to limit it thereto as the same may be variously modified and altered withoutde artin from the spirit of my invention.

at claimjs new, and desire tosecure by letters patent, isz-- 1. In a machine of the character set forth a stationary cylindrical casing equip with inlet and outlet rts and provi ed with a drive-shaft bearin and also with a rotor-shaft bearing, a drive-shaft mounted in said bearing, a sleeve member closed at one end and lsupported by said drive-shaft, a rotor-'shaft mounted in said rotor bearing, a rotor supported by said rotor-shaft eccentrically in said sleeve member and in abutment with the internal surface of said sleeve member, and a vane pivotally connected with said sleeve member and slidable in a slot in said rotor.

2. In a machine of the character set forth, a casing comprising an open ended annulus, an end casing' member closing one end of said annulus and provided with a driveshaft bearing, a second end casing member closin the other end of said annulus and provi ed with a rotor-shaft bearin a driveshaft yjournalled in said drive @ha bearing, an annular sleeve member supported on the inner end of said drive-shaft, a rotor-shaft journalled in said rotor-shaft bearing, a rotor supported u n said rotor-shaft eccentrically within said sleeve member and provided with a slot said rotor and sleeve member poviding, between them, a working chamr, a vane pivotally connected wlth said sleeve member and slidable in said slot in the rotor, and inlet and outlet ports communicating with said working chamber.

3. In a machine of the character set forth, a stationary cylindrical casing equipped with inlet and outlet orts and provided with a drive-shaft antiriction bearing and also with a rotor-shaft anti-friction bearing. a drive-shaft mounted in said bearing, a sleeve member closed at one end and supported by said driveshaft, a rotor-shaft mounted in said rotor bearing, a rotor supported by saidrotor-shaft eccentrically 1n said sleeve member and in abutment with the internal surface of said sleeve member, and a vane pivotally connected with said sleeve member and slidable in a slot in said rotor.

4. In a device of the character set forth,

sleeve member and rotor and ada ted to traverse said working chamber,i an means in said casing for adjusting said sleeve mem- Icasing, a shaft engagin ber and rotor in \a forward and backward direction without moving said casing.

6. In a machine of the character set forth, a casing provided with an internally threaded tubular extension, an annular sleeve member open at one end and adapted to rotate in said chamber, a drive-shaft connected to said annular sleeve and journalled in said tubular extension, a rotor eccentrically disposed within said sleeve member to form a working chamber, vanes connected to said sleeve member, and rotor and adapted to traverse the chamber, and an externally threaded tubular member engaging the internally threaded portion o sai tubular extension and making contact on its inner end with said annular sleeves.

7. In a machine of the character set forth, a casing provided with an extension, bearings housed within said extenslon, a sleeve member having an open end and a closed end and adapted to rotate in said cylinder, a shaft journalled in said bearings and sccured to the closed end of sai-l sleevemember, a rotor eccentrically disposed within said sleeve member to form a workin chamber, said rotor being equiplped wit vanes adapted to traverse the c amber, and an adjustable member extendin within lsaid casing extension and adapte to shift said bearings in a forward or rearward direction.

8. In a device of the character described, a casing provided with an extension, a rotatable sleeve member having an o en.and a closed end and rotatably mounte in said the closed end of said sleeve member, sai sleeve member and casing providin between the closed end of said sleeve mem r and the casing a space throu which the sleeve member may be shifted, and shifting means associated with said casing extension adapted to move said sleeve member in a forward or rearward direction.

9.l In a device of the character set forth, a casing providing a chamber, a sleeve member rotatably mounted in said chamber, said sleeve member being provided withy a closed and open end, said Ycasing and sleeve member havin a space therebetween through which sai sleeve member may be adjustedlongitudinally, a shaft secured a closed end of said sleeve member and ournalled in said casing, an end member closing the end of said casing ad'acent the open end of f sai end member and re istering with inlet and` said sleeve and rovi ed with inlet and outlet ipassa es, an means associated with said casing a apted to shift said sleeve member lon tudinally of the casing, said passages in end member extending through said outlet ports with w ich the casing is provided.

10. In a machine of the characterD set forth, a stationary cylindrical casing `said sleeve member and in abutment with the internal surface of said sleeve member and a vane pivotally connected to one of said members and slidable in a slot in said other member.

In testimon whereof, I have hereunto set my hand t is 1st da of Ma 1928.

JYOHN LEES.

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